The present application is related to method and system for enhancing video and images. In various embodiments, the present invention provide techniques for enhancing color saturation levels in component color spaces, where images (or frames of videos) are stored in terms of luminance and chrominance levels. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides an algorithm for adjusting color saturation of video in real-time playback. But it is to be understood that embodiments of the present invention have wide range of applicability, which can be applied to video processing, imaging processing, image viewing, and others.
Over the last few decades, technologies for media processing and rendering developed rapidly, especially with the advent of the better computer hardware and telecommunication techniques. In today's world of ubiquitous data communications, ranging from Internet to personal mobile devices, people are sharing more and more media content over communication networks everyday.
Network resources are limited, despite the continuous effort by network companies and providers to improve and expand communication network. Meanwhile, content providers and engineers develop various means to improve media output under the constraints of existing hardware. Among others, various types of compression and enhancement techniques have been developed to improve images and video qualities. These techniques have been used for both contents shared over communication networks and contents stored in various types of media, such as DVD, Blu-Ray discs, CDs, tapes, etc. For each type of application, there are one or more specific and different requirements for the image/video quality. For example, many entertainment-related applications need the playback system to provide better color performance in terms of saturation and hue for the image/video viewers so that the video appear to be more colorful and vivid. This example is more so for low quality video (such as web cam and/or “youtube” videos), where colors are usually dull and uninteresting.
Saturation adjustment is a useful tool in improving video and/or image qualities. By adjusting color saturation, image and/or video can be made to look vivid or muted. There are various conventional techniques exist for saturation adjustment. Unfortunately, these conventional techniques are inadequate for various applications.
Therefore, improved methods and systems for color enhancement are desired.